Off Topic

R.I.P.

2094 replies · 488,554 views
09 Apr 07:05

Heard this one earlier today:

Margaret Thatcher's been in Hell for less than a day, and she's already shut down six furnaces.

09 Apr 07:40

The reason that  she was popular is that prior to becoming PM, the UK has a Labour PM  called James Callaghan who fucked up the UK big time.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

09 Apr 08:23

Leggy wrote:

The reason that  she was popular is that prior to becoming PM, the UK has a Labour PM  called James Callaghan who fucked up the UK big time.



Popular in certain circles. Particular memory:Coming out of Maine Road one night, 1984, and the crowd erupted into 'Maggie, Maggie, Maggie... out, out, out',
Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

09 Apr 08:30

dairyflat wrote:

Leggy wrote:

The reason that  she was popular is that prior to becoming PM, the UK has a Labour PM  called James Callaghan who fucked up the UK big time.



Popular in certain circles. Particular memory:Coming out of Maine Road one night, 1984, and the crowd erupted into 'Maggie, Maggie, Maggie... out, out, out',


What else you expect from  low life City supporters?

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

09 Apr 08:51

Just gonna leave this here



Three for me, and two for them.

09 Apr 09:00

Buffon II wrote:

Just gonna leave this here





Another left wing dick.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

09 Apr 09:04

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?

Three for me, and two for them.

09 Apr 10:27 · edited 09 Apr 10:29 · History

Leggy wrote:


Another left wing dick.


You ASSUME that is the case.
Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

10 Apr 00:32


Yep, getting punchy.

I must say I enjoyed my time in the UK from '76 onwards. She left me alone for the 4 years I squatted happily in Islington. Probably didn't know I was there. The Falklands came as a bit of a shock though. More of a shock for the Argies of course, in the Bigger Picture. How come Maradona hasn't run for President anyway?

"At the end of the drive the lawmen arrive...

I'll take my chance because luck is on my side or something...

Her name is Rio, she don't need to understand...

Oh Rio, Rio, hear them shout across the land..."

10 Apr 01:26


What, with the Sherriff of Finchley and Saville, no minors were safe.  

10 Apr 01:45

Annette Funicello.........the most famous Mouseketeer.........passed away age 70

Starred in "How to Stuff a Wild Bra "

I`m sure a re-make of that movie would look totally different today !!!! 

10 Apr 02:11

Buffon II wrote:

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?



I don't particularly like any politicians, but to give her credit she and Regan stood up to block Soviet expansionism which helped to promote new thinking in the Kremlin. Her insistence that Gorbachev was a man who the West could do business with also helped to end the cold war.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

10 Apr 03:00

Maggie rocked.

10 Apr 07:59

dairyflat wrote:

Leggy wrote:


Another left wing dick.


You ASSUME that is the case.


I did not assume anything.
He supported the the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition in the London Assembly election in 2012 and in March 2013 he launched a campaign for a new left wing party.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

10 Apr 20:50

Leggy wrote:

Buffon II wrote:

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?



I don't particularly like any politicians, but to give her credit she and Regan stood up to block Soviet expansionism which helped to promote new thinking in the Kremlin. Her insistence that Gorbachev was a man who the West could do business with also helped to end the cold war.

So, what you are saying is that because she thought that Splotch Head was a decent bloke, everythings all good. Try explaining that the the thousands that died in the Falklands & the millions who were made unemployed from the Mines, car builders, health system staff, ship builders, pretty much the whole of the manufacturing industry in the UK. She implemented policies that totally fucked Britain, & when Labour finally got into power they carried on with her policies ( which says more about labour than it did for her policies)
Also to be remembered is that the majority of people in the UK did not vote for her, of those that voted, only 40% voted Conservative.
Margaret Thatcher RIP (Rot In Purgatory)

We're the WELLINGTON Phoenix

And this is our Home

11 Apr 02:39

Amazing times under Maggie.  Before that the govt had to go to the IMF to survive, shipbuilding shut down and moved to Korea, car making moved to Japan, coal became cheaper to import from Australia, manufacturing couldn't compete with South East Asia, and the UK lost motorbike making to Japan too.  Have a look a Marlon Brando in a Street Car Named Desire, he's riding a Norton (British bike).  The UK had old machinery, outdated work practices and even with huge subsidies to industry simply couldn't compete.

The UK was frankly stuffed.  

Come the mid eighties and early nineties, companies were fighting to set up in the UK, which is what I saw in my job over there.

My take on it, is that it got rid of the class system from much of the UK.  UK industry was run by old Etonians and coalminers equally had a 'proud to be working class' thing going on.  Neil Kinnock, when speaking about Maggie, said if Scargill wasn't so hung up on 'total victory' and 'class warfare' and said let's negotiate, right at the beginning, Kinnock reckons, Maggie would have met him half way.

11 Apr 02:55

edward l wrote:

Amazing times under Maggie.  Before that the govt had to go to the IMF to survive, shipbuilding shut down and moved to Korea, car making moved to Japan, coal became cheaper to import from Australia, manufacturing couldn't compete with South East Asia, and the UK lost motorbike making to Japan too.  Have a look a Marlon Brando in a Street Car Named Desire, he's riding a Norton (British bike).  The UK had old machinery, outdated work practices and even with huge subsidies to industry simply couldn't compete.

The UK was frankly stuffed.  

Come the mid eighties and early nineties, companies were fighting to set up in the UK, which is what I saw in my job over there.

My take on it, is that it got rid of the class system from much of the UK.  UK industry was run by old Etonians and coalminers equally had a 'proud to be working class' thing going on.  Neil Kinnock, when speaking about Maggie, said if Scargill wasn't so hung up on 'total victory' and 'class warfare' and said let's negotiate, right at the beginning, Kinnock reckons, Maggie would have met him half way.



Now that is much closer to the truth than Kiwi Hatters version .

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

11 Apr 04:42

I think it is easy to comment dispassionately on those events if you are not directly involved in it or not bearing any of the impact.

I could say how Rogernomics was a good move for NZ because I wasn't one of the many who lost jobs as a result (and through no fault of their own).  Mind you I did miss out on redundancy when my gummnt dept was restructured out of existence as I'd already decided to resign about a year before it all kicked off..



"Phoenix till they lose"

Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion. 

Genuine opinion: FTFFA

11 Apr 07:19 · edited 11 Apr 07:19 · History

Leggy wrote:


I did not assume anything.
He supported the the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition in the London Assembly election in 2012 and in March 2013 he launched a campaign for a new left wing party.

Buffon or Loach??   Oh wait...
Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

11 Apr 07:22

 Hey Leggy, ta for the heads up. I missed this  about that new party.  What is it you object to?

Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

11 Apr 08:21

dairyflat wrote:

 Hey Leggy, ta for the heads up. I missed this  about that new party.  What is it you object to?



I don't object at all. It is called democracy.  I was just making the point that he was a left wing d----------------

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

11 Apr 11:42

Leggy wrote:

Buffon II wrote:

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?



I don't particularly like any politicians, but to give her credit she and Regan stood up to block Soviet expansionism which helped to promote new thinking in the Kremlin. Her insistence that Gorbachev was a man who the West could do business with also helped to end the cold war.


Also infamously insisted that the British could do business with the Khmer Rouge. Even let the SAS train their fighters.
11 Apr 21:57

Outpost wrote:

Leggy wrote:

Buffon II wrote:

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?



I don't particularly like any politicians, but to give her credit she and Regan stood up to block Soviet expansionism which helped to promote new thinking in the Kremlin. Her insistence that Gorbachev was a man who the West could do business with also helped to end the cold war.


Also infamously insisted that the British could do business with the Khmer Rouge. Even let the SAS train their fighters.


Welcome to politics.
Britain and the US supported Iraq and Israel supplied millions of dollars worth of weapons to Iran during the Iran/Iraq war in the 80's

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

12 Apr 02:16

Leggy wrote:

Outpost wrote:

Leggy wrote:

Buffon II wrote:

What did you like about her so much then Leggy?



I don't particularly like any politicians, but to give her credit she and Regan stood up to block Soviet expansionism which helped to promote new thinking in the Kremlin. Her insistence that Gorbachev was a man who the West could do business with also helped to end the cold war.


Also infamously insisted that the British could do business with the Khmer Rouge. Even let the SAS train their fighters.


Welcome to politics.
Britain and the US supported Iraq and Israel supplied millions of dollars worth of weapons to Iran during the Iran/Iraq war in the 80's

 

The key to all this is the phrase 'we can do business'. Thatcher and her coterie would overlook anything, any crime, any sin, as long as there was a  £ or a $ in it.

12 Apr 02:27

edward l wrote:
  

Come the mid eighties and early nineties, companies were fighting to set up in the UK, which is what I saw in my job over there.

 

In what sort of sector were you working?

 

12 Apr 02:30

Leggy, what part of Britain were you in when Thatcher was PM?

12 Apr 07:39

turkiye wrote:

Leggy, what part of Britain were you in when Thatcher was PM?



I have never' lived ' in the UK but have been a few times. Longest I have stayed is 5 months and that was in Hampshire, although I have travelled  to quite a few places.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

12 Apr 09:39 · edited 12 Apr 09:42 · History

turkiye wrote:

edward l wrote:

 coal became cheaper to import from Australia,

You sure about that Ted?

p.s. A good read - Did "the reforms the government adopted in the 1980s succeeded in improving the labour market... 

"

Yep, in the 80's it was Australia, these days there's a fair bit from Argentina.  The UK still produces coal, but there's only 6000 miners left at the most competitive mines, compare that to 1.2 million at its peak.  The Decline of Coal 

My cousins during the strike would go around to an aunt as she had gas, so had heating when the electricity went off due to the lack of coal for the power stations.  They could only afford tea and toast for breakfast and lunch, and tea and toast with marmite for dinner. The family was split because an uncle went back to work first. Even now, they won't visit.

Interesting article you put forward suggesting improved productivity.  Even if that happened, it wasn't enough to compete with other countries, with more investment in equipment.  As for work practices, the proof is in the pudding, one look at the Liverpool docks today, says things could be done better.  Effectively, dockers around the world have been impacted by containerisation.

The world changed and the UK (and a lot of other countries) got caught short.

15 Apr 23:31

Dave McArtney of Hello Sailor and Pink Flamingoes .

16 Apr 00:02

sthn.jeff wrote:

Dave McArtney of Hello Sailor and Pink Flamingoes .



Wow.  Might have to dig out some old Flamingoes and reminisce.

How's my driving? - Whine here

17 Apr 05:39

Hard News wrote:

sthn.jeff wrote:

Dave McArtney of Hello Sailor and Pink Flamingoes .



Wow.  Might have to dig out some old Flamingoes and reminisce.



Profile pic. Should you be interested. Lakhsen, on the right, lost touch with him.
Mohammed, on the left, I'm still in touch with. He's now living in Agadez, Niger. More focused on his animals now as tourism has dried up. Is active with a co-op promoting local goods, leather work and bijouterie, into Europe. 
20/5/20

20 Apr 10:40

RIP    Mike Denness...........The first Scot to captain the English cricket team

21 Apr 21:08

UK Kiwi wrote:

RIP    Mike Denness...........The first Scot to captain the English cricket team



RIP
Saw him play in Auckland , good player.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

21 Apr 21:50
RIP Storm Thorgerson... one of the best names in the history of people having names. And, the artist behind Hipgnosis which designed many iconic album covers by Pink Floyd, Led Zep, The Who, 10cc.... the list goes on.
E + R + O

24 Apr 09:30

RIP    Richie Havens..................For all those that can remember Woodstock 

03 May 03:13


Jeff from Slayer. Haven't listened to them since 15 yrs of age and  I sold my Rein in Blood picture disc for petrol money to get from Bristol to Heathrow for my flight to NZ...RIP dude.

03 May 08:22 · edited 03 May 08:26 · History

HH wrote:


Jeff from Slayer. Haven't listened to them since 15 yrs of age and  I sold my Rein in Blood picture disc for petrol money to get from Bristol to Heathrow for my flight to NZ...RIP dude.


Unfortunately, has been on the cards for a couple of years since he contracted that terrible disease, but it's still a bit of a kick in the guts. 
One of my true childhood heroes, Reign in Blood is still, some 27 years after its release, one of the best metal albums ever recorded.